Pneumatically operated fingers for hat blocking machine



July 19, 1955 v. E. COTTRELL ETAL 2,713,443

PNEUMATICALLY OPERATED FINGERS FOR HAT BLOCKING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Sept. 10. 1954 INVENTORS. VINCENT E. COTTRELL BY SIMON DERINGER WWW AT TOR/VEYS.

July 19, 1955 v. E. COTTRELL ET AL 2,713,443

PNEUMATICALLY OPERATED FINGERS FOR HAT BLOCKING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 10, 1954 l Nil W 5'4 as 3 INVENTORS.

VINCENT E. COTTRELL BY SIMON DERINGER A TTOR/VEYS.

July 19, 1955 v. E. COTTRELL ETAL 2,713,443

PNEUMATICALLY OPERATED FINGERS FOR HAT BLOCKING MACHINE Filed Sept. 10, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 62 INVENTORS. VINCENT E. COTTRELL Y SIMON DERINGER Caw a/nd/ W A TTORNEYS.

United States Patent PNEUMATICALLY OPERATED FINGERS FOR HAT BLOCKING MACHINE Vincent E. Cottrell and Simon Deringer, Philadelphia, Pa.; said Cottrell assignor to said Deringer Application September 10, 1954, Serial No. 455,230

11 Claims. (Cl. 223-12) This invention relates to a labor saving device for attachment to a conventional stamper press or hat blocking machine or to the type of machine disclosed in our copending application Serial No. 411,165, filed February 18, 1954.

Heretofore, in the operation of a stamper press having a female mold movable into and out of engagement with a male mold, it was necessary for two persons to operate the press. The two persons were needed to hold the hat material in a stretched position over the male mold while the female mold engaged the material in the process of forming and shaping the material.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a device for attachment to the stamper press which would eliminate entirely the need for one of the two operators as mentioned hereinabove.

This is accomplished by providing a device having fingers in position to grip one edge of the hat material and a means to selectively open and close the fingers.

A further object of the invention is to provide a material-gripping attachment for a stamper press which is adjustable for use with molds of varying sizes and shapes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described which can be simply, efliciently and effectively operated by a valved pneumatic actuating means.

And yet another object of the invention is to provide a material-gripping attachment of the character described which incorporates a deflecting surface that can be adjusted to any desired angle and which assists the operator in the operation of the device.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent as the following description proceeds in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device shown at tached to a stamper press of the type disclosed in our copending application Serial No. 411,165, filed February 18, 1954;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the device;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the first stage in the placement of the hat material on the mold when the finger grips are open; and

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6 illustrating the manner in which the finger grips engage an edge of the hat material.

Specific reference will now be made to the drawings wherein similar reference characters are used for corresponding elements throughout.

1n the outset, it should be understood that while the drawings illustrate the present device in association with a stamper press disclosed in our copending application Serial No. 411,165, the device can be used for any stamper press which employs a male mold over which the hat material is draped and a female mold which is moved into and out of engagement with the hat material. The most efiicient use of the device is in association with the stamper press as disclosed in our above specified application.

The stamper press comprises a table or support 10 upon which is mounted a male mold 12 over which any desired hat material 14 is draped. Movable into and out of engagement with the hat material 14 is a female mold 16.

Irrespective of whether a mechanical or pneumatic means is used to move the mold 16 towards and away from the mold 12, two operators are required to hold the hat material 14 in a stretched position over the mold 12 while the mold 16 is moved into engagement with the hat material and for the length of time necessary to impart a fixed shape to the hat. The present device eliminates the need for one of these operators.

The device comprises a bracket member 18 mounted upon the support 10, gripping fingers 20 carried by the bracket member and a means 22 for selectively opening and closing the gripping fingers. The bracket member preferably consists of two bars 24 and 26 which are adjustably pivoted as by the screws and wing nuts 28 to vise members 30 which are secured to the support 10. The bracket member also includes a substantially rectangular frame having side members 32 and 34, an upper member 36 and a lower member 38 joining the side members. Elongated slots 40 are provided in the bars 24, and the ends of the side members 32 and 34 of the frame which extend beyond the bottom member 38 are adjustably pivoted to the bars 24 by means of screws 42 extending through the slots 40 and Wing nuts 44 received on the screws. Thus it will be seen that the position of the bracket member towards and away from the male mold 12 can be readily adjusted by means of the wing nuts 28.

The gripping fingers 20 are each in the form of elongated members 46 and 48 which are pivoted intermediate their ends as at 50. The forward ends of the members 46 and 48 are formed with serrated jaws 52 and 54 for gripping the hat material 14. The jaws 52 and 54 are normally urged into an open position by resilient means such as a spring 56 interposed between the members 46 and 48 in advance of the pivot pins 50.

The fingers are mounted upon the frame portion of thebracket member so that they can be moved into any desired adjusted position relative to each other and to the male mold 12. This adjustment is necessary to adapt the device for use in connection with molds of various shapes and dimensions. The means for adjustably mounting the fingers on the bracket member comprises a pair of spaced longitudinally extending slots 58 which are provided in the bottom member 38. Depending from the lower elongated member 48 of the fingers 20 is a threaded shank or screw 6% which loosely extends through the slot 58 and which receives a suitable wing nut 62 at its free end. Thus, it will be seen that by loosening and retightening of the wing nut 62, the positions of the gripping fingers 20 relative to each other can be adjusted both angularly and longitudinally.

The means 22 for selectively opening and closing the fingers comprises a rod 64 slidably mounted in the frame portion of the bracket member 18. The rod 64 is held in the side members 32 and 34 of the frame because the latter are of channel construction. The rod 64 extends between the members 46 and 48 of the fingers at the end portions 66 and 68 thereof which are opposite the jaw portions 52 and 54. Thus, if a means actuates the rod 64 to move upwardly in the frame, the jaws will close against action of the springs 56, as shown in Figure 7.

When the rod 64 is moved downwardly to its original position in the frame, the spring 56 urges the jaws of the fingers into an open position, as shown in Figure 6.

Various means may be employed to actuate the rod 64. An efiicient actuating means comprises a cylinder 70 which is appropriately secured as at 72 to the upper portion 36 of the frame portion of the bracket member 18. Slidable in the cylinder 76 is a piston rod 74 which is threaded into an appropriate socket of the rod 64 as at 76. To vary the stroke of the rod 64, the same can be locked in an adjusted position on the piston rod 74 by means of the nut 76.

Appropriately secured to the lower portion of the cylinder 70 is a conduit 78 which is operatively connected to an air compressor 80 by means of a conventional two-way treadle valve 8-2. Thus, when the valve 82 is operated in one position, air under pressure will enter the conduit 78 and raise the piston rod 74 which will, in turn, raise the rod 64 and urge the gripping fingers into a. closed position.

When the treadle valve 82 is moved to the opposite position, the compressed air is withdrawn from the conduit 78 so that when the springs 56 urge the gripping fingers into an open position, the rod 64 is pulled downward to the position shown in Figures 3 and 4.

It will be understood that pneumatic means, as described hereabove, may be used to actuate the gripping fingers on stamper presses of mechanical operation or stamper presses of pneumatic operation, as illustrated in the drawings. In the latter case, the female mold 16 is raised and lowered by a piston rod moving in a cylinder 3 84 which is operatively connected by conduits S6 and 88 to a foot operated three-way treadle valve 90, the latter being connected to the air compressor 80 by a suitable conduit 92. If the gripping fingers as well as the stamper press are to be pneumatically actuated, the two-way treadle valve 82 is connected to the conduit 92, as at 94, by means of a T-adapter 96. Thus, the treadle valves 82 and 90 may be operated separately but may be connected to the same source of compressed air. In the event that the present finger mechanism is pneumatically operated and the stamper press itself is not, the treadle valve 82 is connected to the air compressor 80 by a conduit 98.

In use, the bracket member 18 is adjusted and the finger members 20 are also adjusted relative to the male because the size and shape of the male mold member 12 vary considerably. When the fingers 29 are in the open position with one edge of the hat material extending therein, the treadle valve 82 is actuated, whereupon the rod 64 moves upwardly and closes the gripping jaws of the fingers against the action of the springs 50, as shown in Figure 7. The operator exerts a pull on the hat mate rial. 14 and then actuates the treadle valve 90 so that the female mold 16 engages the hat material 14 until such time as it acquires a relatively fixed shape. The treadle valve 90 is then again actuated to raise the female mold 16 and the treadle valve 82 is also reactuated to exhaust compressed air from the conduit 78, whereupon the springs 56 open the fingers 20 and move the rod 64 downwardly. Thus, the stamper press can be etficiently operated with but a single operator instead of with two.

To assist the operator in the placement of the hat ma terial in the fingers, a reflecting surface is adjustably mounted upon the bracket member 18. This reflecting surface may be in the form of an elongated mirror or highly polished metal sheet 190 which is hinged at its lower edge as at 162 to the upper member 36 of the frame portion of the bracket member 18. The reflecting sheet 100 is provided with ears 104, to which are pivoted slotted links 106, the latter being adjustably secured to the upper portion of the bracket member 18 by means of screws and nuts 108 operatively connected to the links 106 through their slots.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described hereabove, it will be understood that minor variations and construction and arrangement of parts may be made by skilled artisans without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a hat blocking machine having a support, a first mold mounted on the support and adapted to have hat material draped thereover, a second mold complementary to the first, means for moving the second mold into and out of engagement with the first mold, at least one pair of pivotally interconnected fingers mounted on the support in position to engage an edge of the material, and means independent of said means for moving the second mold to selectively open and close the fingers.

2. In a hat blocking machine having a support, a first mold mounted on the support and adapted to have hat material draped thereover, a second mold complementary to the first, means for moving the second mold into and out of engagement with the first mold, a bracket member pivotally mounted on the support for adjustment relative to the first mold, fingers, means mounting the fingers on the bracket member for adjustment relative to each other whereby the fingers are in position to engage an edge of the material, and means independent of said means for moving the second mold to selectively open and close the fingers.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said fingers include a pair of elongated members pivoted to each other intermediate their ends, one of the ends including gripping jaws, and resilient means normally urging said jaws apart, said means to selectively open and close the fingers being operative upon the end portions of said elongated members opposite said jaws.

4. The combination of claim 3 and a bracket member carried by said support and mounting said fingers, said neans to selectively open and close the fingers including a rod slidably mounted on said bracket member and extending between the end portions of said elongated members opposite said jaws, and means independent of said means for moving said second mold to raise and lower said rod.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said raising and lowering means includes a cylinder mounted on said bracket member, a piston rod movable in the cylinder and operatively connected to said first-named rod, an air compressor, a conduit connecting the compressor to the cylinder, and a valve operatively connected to the conduit to selectively direct the compressed air into and out of the conduit.

6. The combination of claim 2 wherein said bracket member includes bars pivoted at their ends to said support, slots in the free ends of said bars, a frame and releasable means connecting the ends of said frame to the free ends of said bars through said slots.

7. The combination of claim 2 wherein said fingers mounting means includes a bar carried by said bracket member, spaced elongated slots in said bar, threaded members depending from said fingers and extending loosely through said slots, and closure nuts on the ends of said threaded members.

8. in a hat blocking machine having a support, a first mold mounted on the support and adapted to have material draped thereover. a second mold, means to move said second mold into and out of engagement With said first mold, at least one pair of pivotally interconnected fingers, means mounting said fingers on the support in position to engage an edge of the material, resilient means normally urging the fingers apart, and means independent of said means to move said second mold and operative upon said 75 fingers to close them against action of the resilient means.

9. The combination of claim 8 wherein two pairs of fingers are provided and said fingers mounting means includes a bracket secured to said support, an elongated bar carried by said bracket, spaced elongated slots in said bar, threaded members depending from each pair of fingers and extending loosely through said slots, and closure nuts on the free ends of said threaded members.

10. In a hat blocking machine having a support, a first mold mounted on the support and adapted to have material draped thereover, a second mold complementary to the first, a source of compressed air, a first cylinder carried by said support and including a piston rod therein connected to said second mold, a pair of conduits connected to the top and bottom of said first cylinder, a first trippable valve operatively connecting said conduits with said source of compressed air whereby actuation of the valve in one or another position will selectively move said second mold into and out of engagement with said first mold, at least one pair of pivotally interconnected fingers mounted on said support in a position to engage one edge of the material, a second cylinder carried by said support having a piston therein operatively connected to said fingers, a conduit operatively connecting said second cylinder with said source of compressed air and a second trippable valve operatively connected to said second cylinder conduit and to said source of compressed air to open and close said fingers independently of the movement of said second mold.

11. In a hat blocking machine having a support, a first mold mounted on the support and adapted to have matc-- rial draped thereover, a second mold complementary to the first, a source of compressed air, a first cylinder carried by said support and including a piston rod therein connected to said second mold, a pair of conduits connected to the top and bottom of said first cylinder, a first trippable valve operatively connecting said conduits with said source of compressed air whereby actuation of the valve in one or another position will selectively move said second mold into and out of engagement with said first mold, at least one pair of pivotally interconnected fingers mounted on said support in a position to engage one edge of the material, resilient means acting upon one end of said fingers to hold them apart, a slidable means engaging the other end of said fingers, a second cylinder carried by said support having a piston therein operatively connected to said slidable means, a third conduit connected to the bottom of said second cylinder and a second trippable valve operable independently of said first valve and interconnecting said third conduit with said source of compressed air whereby actuation of said second valve in one direction will admit air into the bottom of said second cylinder and cause the slidable means to close the fingers whereas actuation of said second valve in another direction will exhaust air from said second cylinder and cause said resilient means to open said fingers.

Keferences Cited in the file or" this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 733,812 Chamberlain July 14, 1903 770,593 Lawson Sept. 20, 1904 1,586,992 Leick May 25, 1926 

